Transgender activist joins race for party chair

A transgender activist from Charlotte jumped into the race Monday for chair of the N.C. Democratic Party. Janice Covington Allison was the first transgender delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2012.

“I know that I will have great barriers to overcome because I will be the first transgender woman in our country’s history to seek out a state’s Democratic Party chairmanship,” she said in a statement. “However, I think … I will be accepted.” Also running in the Feb. 7 election to succeed Randy Voller are Patsy Keever of Asheville, Constance Johnson of Salisbury and Ron Sanyal of Raleigh. Jim Morrill